Anyone Try This SW Radio? Looks Like a Redsun 3100!

Andy writes:

As an avid reader of your site and an SW radio fan, I thought you may be interested in this radio I have found on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130923769299?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 I feel myself "twitching", but the $100 shipping is a bit scary.  :O 

It would appear to be "similar" to the Anjan DTS 10, but also offers air band reception. 

Are any of your radio colleagues aware of this radio and has anyone tried it yet?

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Comments

[Avo]

Hi Andy,

Decided to buy it a couple of weeks ago but ended up returning it. Very good sound quality and heaps of features (including 10Hz tuning for SSB) but....

*) I found the BW for FM is quite wide. I have never owned an RP2100 or the AR1747/1748 but trying them in the Jaycar store many moons ago I was able to pick 2 distant and obscure stations (99.9 and 100.3 MHz) abutting the local (2km away - 200W 100.1 MHz) community channel with minimal splatter. I found this unit was not happy distinguishing the weak ones.
*) Can not get confirmation that it has a first stage MOSFET RF unit. Just means lower noise floor.
*) A little too much CPU noise for my liking when traversing the ether.
*) Couldn't get SSB signals to demod cleanly (even with the 10Hz steps). The step setting is very weird. You select SSB mode then hit the step button until you get +-10 or +-100. With the +-100 mode you get 99 steps per 1 kHz. BUT, when you are tuning backwards at say 9010kHz, I found the unit will go from 9010.00kHz to 9009.00kHz instead of 9009.99kHz. Minor issue but annoying.
*) FM is quite sensitive (again I feel the older RP2100 and derivatives were more so but haven't a direct comparison unit). MW and LW are useless for my apartment dwelling abode as it is just hash. SW seemed quite good. AIR was surprisingly good (much better than my old PL660).

Having said all that, I still have a yearning to buy it again and this time keep it. It really does have an old school charm that the current DAB/Interweb/Bluetusk units can't inspire. Plus the 6 D size batteries will go forever (my Pure Sensia 200D won't last 4 hours before needing a recharge).

[mike_s]

Shipping might be lower from:

http://www.jaycar.us
/productView.asp?ID=AR1945&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1017#4

All of the "Digitech" models appear to be private-label versions of Redsun products.

[Phil Ireland]

Hi, I bought one of these radios, they are sold under the Digitech Audio brand marketed through Jaycar here in Australia. They are the AR 1945. I like the performance of the radio overall however the SSB is dreadful, it would be the worst demodulation of SSB in any of the 45 shortwave radios that I own.If that can be resolved,the radio will be a superb portable receiver. The audio is good, sensitivity is very good and the selectivity is also very good. Its also a pity it doesn't have synchronous detection. Any ideas on a fix for the ssb from readers would be appreciated.